Best Clean-Up Crew for Beginners?

[edwin.exe]

Hey guys. This is my first post. I got a 12 gallon Nano Cube last night, filled it with Caribbean sand (about 1.5 inches high) and seawater. I also put in 7 pounds of live rock. (Is 7 pounds too little for a 12 gallon tank?) I've got two questions for you guys.

1 - When is the right time to add in a clean-up crew? Some have told me to wait a week, others said I can start adding crabs and snails within a day or two, and some have told me to wait a month before I put anything in there.

2 - What's the best clean-up crew for a beginner? I don't want to spend too much either.

Thanks for the help!

 

[WannaBeReefer]

I would think that the live rock needs to cure first, I wouldn't add anything until ammonia, nitrite and nitrates are 0's. If you add things now, it will probably just die. Probably 4-6 weeks.

 

[Len]

Hey,

1. Add your cleanup crew after the tank has fully cycled. The longer you wait, the better it is. Clean-up crews shouldn't be regarded as expendable or super hardy (they aren't). So give them the same consideration you give fish and corals. It's actually not a bad idea to wait until you start developing some algae problems before adding them. This would ensure they don't starve in the beginning, wasting your time, money, and their lives.

2. For a 12 gallon, you needn't very much. I'd add a variety of snails from Astrea to Cerith to Nassirids. Maybe one or two Turbo snails too. A dozen or so scarlet hermit crabs will fill in the scavagening nicely.

Hope that helps.